Junkyard Dog

Junkyard Dog

6" x 5.5"
oil on wood panel

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This is a painting of the wrestler Junkyard Dog, from a rather humorous publicity photo. I am not nor ever was a fan of professional wrestling but after studying this reference photo and reading about Sylvester Ritter, the man that is the Junkyard Dog, I feel like I'm finally starting to "get it". Wrestling and wrestling culture has an over the top sense of camp and drama to it that I never understood, I would complain that it wasn't "real",  and everything was scripted, but I now realize that it was real enough for what they were trying to accomplish and that it was this living theater that allowed everyday people with no real acting skills to invent characters and different personas for themselves, and try it out in front of a group of rabid and willing audience members. As a creative type that maybe has finally learned to lighten up, I can see the humor in this finally. I mean, I always knew it was funny, but I think that the seriousness of the fans unnerved me. It was the FANS of wrestling that created this confusion within me. As usual, I'm blaming others for my own stupidity.

Slyvester Ritter played some college football and also earned a degree in Political Science. I believe this character he created was subversive in nature. A powerful black man in chains, has definite political implications. I think that at the same time as he was making a serious historical statement on the role of black men in our society, he was having a lot of fun, and carved out an unusual way to a make some decent money and impact on our culture. Something I can definitely relate to and aspire towards.

From Wikipedia:
In the early 1980s Ritter moved to Mid-South Wrestling, where booker "Cowboy" Bill Watts gave him the name and gimmick Junkyard Dog, as he would wear a long chain attached to a dog collar, and white boots. He originally came to the ring pushing a cart filled with junk called the "junk wagon" and lost most of his early matches before his character caught on and became the top face in the company. While on top he feuded with some of the top heels in the company, including a now infamous angle with the Fabulous Freebirds where they blinded him with hair cream. At the peak of the feud JYD's wife gave birth to their first child, which was made part of the storyline. It was explained that JYD could not see his new daughter, something that increased the heat on the Freebirds to the point where they needed police escorts in and out of arenas. The feud ended with the still-blinded JYD and Freebird leader Michael "P.S." Hayes wrestling in a dog collar match.

Other notable feuds involved Ernie Ladd, Ted DiBiase, Kamala, King Kong Bundy, and "The Natural" Butch Reed. The feud with DiBiase was particularly notable as DiBiase, once JYD's friend and tag-team partner, turned heel and subsequently won a loser-leaves-town match against JYD with the help of the loaded glove, which was a DiBiase calling card, forcing JYD to leave town for an extended period of time. A masked man physically resembling JYD, known as Stagger Lee, subsequently appeared in the region and began to defeat the competition, one by one, including DiBiase. Though DiBiase and the other heels strongly suspected that Stagger Lee was in fact JYD, they were unable to unmask him to prove their suspicions. Stagger Lee disappeared once the loser-leave-town clause in the JYD-DiBiase match had expired, and JYD returned and reclaimed the North American Heavyweight Championship.

Ritter died on June 2, 1998, in a single-car accident on Interstate 20 near Forest, Mississippi, as he was returning home from his daughter LaToya's high school graduation in Wadesboro, North Carolina.^[1]The apparent cause was falling asleep at the wheel. Ritter's body was laid in an unmarked grave at Westview Memorial Park in Wadesboro, North Carolina, however a marker was placed at his grave by November 2012.

• Finishing moves

• Thump (Standing scoop powerslam or a front powerslam)^[4]

• Signature moves

• Dog-like antics, including biting the air, barking at his opponent, and crawling on all fours while repeatedly headbutting his opponent
• Multiple headbutts to a cornered or standing opponent
• Shoulderbreaker

• Entrance themes

• "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce
• "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen
• "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
• "Grab Them Cakes" by Junkyard Dog and Vicki Sue Robinson
• "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price

The Leaper

The Leaper

5" x 8.75" x 3.25"

oil on mdo plywood

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This is from a newspaper file photo of a riot in Richmond, Virginia in 1974. Dubbed the Rock and Roll Riot, the clipping reads: "Richmond, Va. April 27-- The Leaper-- Top of unmarked city vehicle gradually gives way under the onslaught of feet. Other cars were burned and over turned by mobs of rock music fans who rioted in Richmond City Stadium Saturday after drug arrests were made.

richmondmagazine.com/news/rock-and-roll-riot-03-30-2011/ 

It is painted on a stack of MDO style plywood. 

Stilts - Hot Mama Long Legs

Stilts - Hot Mama Long Legs

5" x 9.75" x 2.25"

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This painting was made using a "found photograph" as a reference. It is from a early 1960s fashion photo from artist Hurst P. Hurst. It is painted on MDO style plywood, which just means it has a paper face on it. I designed the piece with the wave patterns in the leg area just to have some fun. 

Two Chicks, Two Smokes, Four Skates

Two Chicks, Two Smokes, Four Skates

5" x 7" x 1.25"

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This painting was made using a "found photograph" as a reference. It is of two young ladies taking a smoke break after some roller skating and generally being fabulous. I designed the wood form that it is painted on to enhance the feeling of maybe looking through a fashion magazine and spying these two ladies. They are twins but they are not. The each occupy their own "page" or panel but are very similar otherwise. 

Someone's Parents

Someone's Parents

5" x 9.5" 

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This is the first painting in a series where I am again trying to make small work on a consistent basis. I am just taking in images I see that appeal to me this photo flew by in my newsfeed on Facebook one day. It turns out it is an image of a friend's parents. I boosted the color and stretched the distance between the two sweet lovely parents of my friend. 

The Empty Lot

The Empty Lot

5" x 11.25" x 2" 

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An empty lot next door to Lo And Behold Records in Hamtramck. I guess the guy walking is a local character recognized in this painting by his paunch. The figure is cut out and suspended in front of the painting as I tend to do. This image would really benefit from being on a curved panel.

Shelby

Shelby

Oil on Chinese food take-out container, 2012, 10.5"x 10.5"x 3"

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This painting of a friend I made on a Chinese food take out container. I consider these as "ready made" forms to paint on. You can unfold them and then refold them into any shape you want. Here I just made a simple bowl shape which distorts the face in a crazy way. I've been concentrating on portraiture as of late, just to try and get a handle on it. There are endless possibilities for shapes when using these containers. I made a series using this format of still images from the original movie of King Kong. Every still in that movie is beautiful like a gorgeous painting with a violent but innocent ape as the subject. I also did a few skateboarder ones based on the photos of Glen E. Friedman of skateboarding legends Tony Alva and others in the 1970's skating empty pools in California. Here is a link, http://www.andrewkrieger.net/chinese-food.html.

Untitled Guy

Untitled Guy

Oil on Birch form, 2012, 4.75" x 3.75" x 2.5"

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Todays painting is of a guy on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. These paintings are a lot cooler in person, the effect of the face on the corner of the painting really brings these people to life.

Culkowski

Culkowski

Oil on Birch form, 2012, 4.75" x 3.75" x 2.5"

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Todays painting is of my friend Jake Culkowski, I've done a few paintings of Jake already, but on a larger scale. He is a local musician and plays in various bands around town. Hanging around Jake is like hanging around a time machine, because he seems to have stepped right out of the 1970's. It reminds me of that movie with Brendan Fraser (Encino Man) when he was a recently thawed caveman hanging around some high school kids teaching each other life lessons. Actually I never saw that movie and I'm totally guessing at the plot. 

Figures On A Beach

Figures On A Beach

Oil on Birch form, 4.75"x 3.75"x 2.5"

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Todays painting is from my found photo series, it's of some friends together on the beach. I had drawn the image for this quite a while ago and set it aside, but after a recent bout with the winter blues (I'm tired of being cold) it started telling me to finish it, so I listened and I do feel better. Summer is coming! The title is an insider reference to a Detroit band from the early to mid 1980's. Thanks for the title guys and cheers to you! here is their song Swimming.

Picking Teams, Summer

Picking Teams, Summer

Oil On Birch panel, 2012, 4.75"x 3.75"x 2.5"

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On a day like today where it feels like spring and the sun is shining, although it is still winter, I should feel warm and have a brighter outlook. I don't. So, I thought I'd cheer myself up with a summer painting. I play softball in the summer with a bunch of great characters and people. The first thing that happens besides opening a beer is to pick the teams. We usually play two games, and in this painting the sun is getting low in the sky as the second game is about to be sorted out. I painted this on one of my right angle panels. I enjoy painting on these sculptural forms.

Girders, Rivets, Shadows, Sky

Girders, Rivets, Shadows, Sky


Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"


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Todays painting is a close up view of a junction between two steel beams on a railroad truss bridge. The sharpness of the light and the shadows that they made struck me.

Portrait of El Chupacabra

Portrait Of El Chupacabra

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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Todays painting is a painting of a portrait of El Chupacabra. A legendary bigfoot type creature. El Chupacabra roughly translates as goat sucker. There are some red flowers of some sort here too.

Adobe Wall, Wedding Dress

Adobe Wall, Wedding Dress

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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Todays painting is another portrait of a friend.

White Dress

White Dress

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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Todays painting is a portrait of a friend. I hope you enjoy it.

Ms. Murphy

Ms. Murphy

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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Todays painting is a portrait of a friend, the beautiful Ms. Murphy.

Trestle Bridge, Shipyard

Trestle Bridge, Shipyard

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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Todays painting is a bit of a departure for me. I am abstracting things a bit, although there are still some identifiable objects in there. Steel girders, trusses, the back end of a ship. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

House On Fire

House On Fire

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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This is another view of the house in Detroit I saw burn down. The smoke coming off of the building was intense as the fire ate the house from the inside out. Houses all contain their own histories and memories inside them, this one after the rubble is cleared away will have had its history erased, and its too bad. This was one of the last houses on the block, I'm sure the other homes died a similar death. A whole neighborhood burned to the ground, house by house, years apart. Everyone remembers the Great Chicago Fire or the fires that destroyed Atlanta or San Francisco, and Hurricane Katrina that destroyed  a large portion of New Orleans.  No one will remember these Detroit house fires individually even though they have been equally, if not more destructive, and have the nation rally around our community. Its just history lost, without ever making history.

Detroit House Fire

Detroit House Fire

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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A friend and I went out one evening with the intention of shooting some photographs and we came across this house fire in an abandoned house on the east side. It was well under control when we arrived, after following the smoke from a few miles away. This kind of thing is all to common around here and its been gone over ad-nauseam in the press and elsewhere about our cities problems, but when confronted with something like this. I defy any artist to turn and walk away, it is such an amazing, destructive visual spectacle that can only leave you spell bound.

Snowfall, Michigan Morning

Snowfall Michigan Morning

Oil on Birch panel, 2012, 5"x 5"

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I love seeing fresh snow on the road right after sunrise. I perhaps did push the colors here slightly (sarcasm), but when you are traveling and the sun is starting to rise, it usually makes for a memorable day and I wanted to make sure I didn't forget. Although now I only remember this as a yellow sunrise.